Just Before My Wedding: Trapped By My Ruthless Boss novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

KISAREL.

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“Girl, you’ve been checking the time non–stop since we got here,” Elgin said, setting his glass down. “You promised me the whole evening. The whole evening, Arel. Those were your exact words. I have witnesses.”

“You have no witnesses.”

“Grand–père heard you say it over the phone.”

I smiled, putting my phone face down on the table. “I’m sorry. I’m here.”

“You have somewhere to be.” He stated.

We were tucked into a corner booth at a small jazz bar three blocks from Gerald’s house Elgin’s choice, because he had strong opinions about ambiance and had dismissed my suggestion of the eatery down the road with a single expression.

–

“I have a trip at four AM,” I said. “Sydney. I need to pack a few things and see Jace before-“I stopped.

“Before?” He prompted.

“Before I have to be at my boss’s place by ten tonight.

The silence that followed was Elgin at his most dangerous completely still, processing me, his eyes doing that thing where they moved over your face like they were reading something you hadn’t written yet.

“Your boss’s place,” he said slowly. “You are spending the night at your boss’s place.”

“The flight is at four, and his house is closer to the airport. It’s purely logistical-”

“Kisarel.”

“What?”

“I’m your best friend,” he said simply. “Not a magistrate. You don’t need to build a case.”

I pressed my lips together.

“What is he like?” Elgin asked, settling back into the booth. “This boss of yours. Ocean Stark. I googled him, by the way. Immediately after our call yesterday.”

“Of course you did.”

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Chapter 24

“The man is “He made a gesture with his hand that communicated something between impressed and scandalized. “Arel. That man is not a boss. That is a whole entire situation wearing a suit. A very expensive suit, oui, but still.” He tilted his head, and it was at that precise moment that something across the room caught his eye.

I noticed a slight shift in his posture, and the way his gaze moved past my shoulder and stayed there for just a half second longer than anything warranted.

“What?” I turned slightly.

“Nothing.” He came back to me smoothly, picking up his glass. “So. He invited you to spend the night at his house.”

“For the trip-”

“You said that already.” He waved a hand.

I laughed despite myself. “He’s just my employer.”

“Mhm.” He teased, but his eyes briefly moved past me again.

I turned a little more, and across the room, leaning against the bar with a drink held loosely in one hand, was a tall, dark man in a dark fitted shirt.

He had his attention on our booth. On Elgin specifically.

I turned back around and caught Elgin studying his glass with enormous concentration.

“Elgin.”

“Hm?”

“That man at the bar is staring at you.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” he said, which was the most dishonest thing he had ever said to me in six years of friendship.

I laughed. “Sure.”

“Can we focus?” He set his glass down with great dignity. “You. Spending the night. Boss’s house.” He cleared his throat, “So, why are you spending the night at your employer’s house the night before a business trip instead of, I don’t know, your own house, like a normal employee?”

“I told you. The logistics-”

“It’s personal, love.” He paused. “Has he tried anything with you?”

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The warmth hit my cheeks immediately and completely against my will.

I reached for my drink.

Elgin watched my hand move to the glass.

“Non,” he breathed. “Arel. No. Already?”

“Keep your voice-”

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“Confirm it. Right now. Look at me and confirm it.” He pointed at his own eyes. “Here. Look here.”

I looked.

And said nothing.

“Sacré bleu.” He sat back against the booth like the information had personally arrived and introduced itself. “You slept with your boss. Your actual boss, Ocean Stark. The man.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Okay. Okay. I need a second.” He held up a finger. “One second.”

“Elgin-”

“I’m processing. This is what processing looks like. Give me the second.” He breathed. Then, “Is he not also correct me if I’m wrong Moonie’s fiancé?”

―

I held his gaze and nodded.

–

What moved across his face was slow and deeply, privately satisfied. “You know,” he said, “my professor in Lyon -Professor Marceau, wonderful man, terrible breath – he used to say that life has a remarkable sense of irony for those patient enough to wait for it.” He gestured toward me. “Voilà. There it is. Right there.”

“It’s not revenge,” I said quickly. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

I turned my glass on the table. “It’s just sex.”

“Okay.” He sipped his drink.

I waited for him to say something else. He didn’t. He just sat there looking pleasantly unbothered, which was its own kind of pressure.

“It helps me forget,” I said finally.

“Mm.” He swirled his glass. “You know, Professor Marceau used to say that the most honest thing a person can do is admit what makes them feel alive. Even if what makes them feel

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alive is technically a catastrophic decision.” He paused. “He also had an affair with a married woman for eleven years, so perhaps he was biased. But still. The point stands.”

–

I laughed softly. “It’s not it’s more than just feeling alive. It’s like everything else just stops when I’m with him. Jace, Moonie, Freda, all of it. Like it doesn’t exist.”

“And he makes it all stop.”

—

“Yes,” I said before I could think about whether I wanted to. “There’s a way he he pays attention to me during sex. He notices things I never even knew were there. Things Jace never…” I shook my head slowly, swallowing the words. “There’s a way he looks at me sometimes. There was that one time he kissed my tears. Right in the middle of everything, he just… leaned down and did it. I mean…”

The table was very quiet, and I noticed I’d been talking for quite a while now.

I stopped and looked up.

Elgin had his chin resting in his palm, his elbow on the table, watching me with an expression of such gentle, eloquent amusement that I felt the words I had just said replay themselves back to me from the outside and heard, for the first time, exactly what they

sounded like.

“It’s just sex,” I defended.

“Oui,” said Elgin.

“I mean it.”

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“Je te crois,” he said. “I absolutely believe you.” But his face made it absolutely clear he did not.

“Elgin-

His phone rang, saving me from his scrutiny.

“It’s Grandpa.” He said and kept the phone back, face down.

“Won’t you answer?” I asked.

“He’s probably calling to tell me not to stay out late.” He waved a hand. “I’ll talk to him later.”

“Typical Gerald,” I said, and we both laughed.

We stayed in that booth for another hour after that, talking, laughing, and catching up on everything we’d missed about each other. Including Jace’s cheating with Moon.

The man who had been sending glances at Elgin’s way finally decided to make a move, just when I was about to call it a night.

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Chapter 24

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Vouchers

Elgin went very still when the man approached our booth and stopped beside him. He leaned down and said something close to Elgin’s ear, quiet enough that I couldn’t hear a single word of it.

Elgin’s expression moved through three things in quick succession. Surprise. Pleasure. Á composure he pulled back on almost immediately.

Elgin nodded.

The man straightened, held Elgin’s gaze for one moment, and walked away.

Elgin picked up his glass and took a very long sip.

“Elgin.” I stared at him. “Are you blushing?”

“Absolutely not,” he said, with great conviction. “It’s warm in here. It’s a ventilation issue.”

“Your ears are red.”

“They are not-” He touched one ear, cleared his throat, and rearranged himself. “I was going to say,” he began, “that you are not the only one with somewhere to spend the night.”

I glared playfully at him.

“Elgin Watts,” I said slowly.

He smiled at me with all his teeth and winked at me. “It’s just sex.”

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